String-maker&#39;s peg.



H. L. DIEHL. STRING MAKER'S PEG. APPLICATION FILED NOV. a. I915- IM M Patented June 12, 1917.

IIFIITIZD hTATEb PATENT @FFIQE.

HARRY L. DIEI-IL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STRING-MAKERS PEG.

Application filed November 8, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, IIARRY L. DIEHL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chi cage, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in String-Makers Pegs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to string makers pegs for slitting the guts or intestines of animals, usually sheep or goats, for the production of strings. It will be understood by those familiar with the manufacture of gut strings that there is great difficulty in slitting the guts satisfactorily on account of the great variation in the size of the individual intestines, and also the considerable variation in size of the different portions of the same intestine. The object of my invention is to provide a tool whereby the intestines may be slitted lengthwise rapidly, accurately and without much care or skill on the part of the operator.

I accomplish my object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a general perspective view of a tool embodying my invention, and provided with a knife with two points of cutting contact whereby the intestine may be cut into two strips.

Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views of the tool drawn to an increased scale and illustrating its construction and method of operation.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the tool.

Fig. 5 is an edge view of the tool viewed from the side of the movable branch.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line 6-6, Fig. 4b

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the design selected to illustrate the in vention, the stationary portion 1 of the peg is fastened to a standard 2 near its rear end, this standard rising from a work table3 or other suitable support. The peg is rounded at its front end and slightly curved to conform in a general way to the shape of the intestines as they usually occur. The peg is tapered, gradually increasing in width toward the butt or rear end, as shown.

A movable branch 1 is pivoted to the main branch 1 at any suitable point along the latter. In the design illustrated, the mov- Speeification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 60,460.

able branch is hinged to the stationary branch at a point somewhat behind the nose of the latter, but the distance from the nose may be varied to meet the preferences of the designer. By preference, the hinging is accomplishe'd by the aid of a plate 5 which is let into the stationary branch and carries a vertical pin 6 which forms a hinge-pin for the movable branch. The fixed branch is cut away at the side sufficiently to receive the movable branch and permit the edges of the two parts to come into alinement with each other and thus present a smooth and continuous surface to the material passing along the tool. In other words, the parts are so configurated that when the two branches are in close contact, they will supplement each other and present the appearance of a complete and symmetrical peg.

The branches are normally held expanded by a spring device which, in the present instance, consists of a helical spring 8 contained in a socket 9 formed in the stationary branch, as best illustrated in Fig. 6. A follower having a head 10 is slidingly mounted in said socket, the outer end of the follower engaging the inner edge of the movable branch of the peg. The stem 11 of the follower is of reduced diameter and is encircled by the spring 9, as illustrated.

The knife or knives are located near the butt end of the peg. In the present case, a single blade 12 is arranged vertically and extends approximately an equal distance above and below the peg. The cutting edge faces forward so as to slit the material as the latter is drawn toward it. v In operation, the operator stands behind the peg and draws the intestine toward him over the peg. The branch 4 normally stands expanded and the result is that as the gut passes the hinge it is gradually distended sufficiently to remove all wrinkles before it reaches the cutting edge of the knife. As the movable branch is yieldable, it accommodates itself to variations in the diameter of the gut and hence the operator need not exert great care nor possess much skill to enable him to work rapidly and efliciently.

In the present form, in which two cutting contacts are shown, the material will be cut into two strips and one of these strips, the one which passes along the outside edge of the fixed branch 1, will be of uniform width Patented June 112, 1917.

regardless of the variations in diameter of the gut. Such strips produce a string of special uniformity.

As a result of my invention, therefore, the operator may work very rapidly and need exert but little care, and atleast one of the strips will be of constant width.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1- 1. A string makers peg'consisting of a main branch, means near the rear end thereof for rigidly supporting it, said main branch being approximately elliptical in cross-section, a movable branch hinged at the forward end to the main branch, the main branch being cut away at the edge to receive the movable branch, the movable branch supplementing the main branch at the cutaway portion thereof to thereby cutting blade fastened to one of said' branches and facing toward the forward end of the peg.

3. A bifurcated string makers peg having two branches hinged together means for yieldingly holding said branches divergent, means for rigidly supporting one of said branches, and cutting means fastened to the rigidly supported branch and having a cut ting edge both above and below the branch on which it is supported.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

HARRY L. DIEHL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents,

Washington, D. G. 

